AN epidemic of mental illness has blighted a generation of soldiers struggling to cope with the horrors of Afghanistan, the Daily Record can reveal today.

Our investigation has discovered that thousands of soldiers – almost one in 10 – are being diagnosed with psychological problems.

All ranks of the Army, from top brass to privates, have been dogged by mental illness as they battle to cope with the carnage they have witnessed in Afghanistan.

The most recent figures, obtained by the Record under freedom of information laws, show that more than 9000 serving soldiers and officers have been found to have some type of mental disorder.

Between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2010, a staggering 9064 personnel battled a number of mental issues, including mood and anxiety disorders.

More than 500 of them were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The regular Army currently have around 100,000 personnel.

Some 2510 troops were diagnosed with mental problems in 2010 alone.

Of those, 185 were diagnosed with PTSD.

Frontline soldiers with the rank of private suffer most with combat-related illnesses.

In 2010, 1157 privates were diagnosed with mental illness. Around 10 per cent of them had PTSD.

Between 2009 and 2010, the total number of soldiers diagnosed as mentally ill soared from 2199 to 2510.

The number of soldiers with PTSD leapt by around 50 per cent in just three years, from 121 in 2007 to 185 in 2010.

Psychotherapist and retired colonel Tony Gauvain is an expert in the treatment of military PTSD.

He said: “A generation has been blighted. This is a ticking timebomb.

“The tightness of the PTSD definition allows the Ministry of Defence to minimise its liability. But it is highly significant that they do refer to mental health disorders.

“PTSD is actually an umbrella term which covers numerous things such as depression, anxiety, self-medication and other symptoms.

“So this is the tip of the iceberg. We are dealing with people who served in the Falklands 30 years ago and there would have been old soldiers from World War I who were still having nightmares years down the line.”

The former Army officer and chairman of charity PTSD Resolution said: “This is a massive problem that is likely to get worse in years to come.

“You could take these figures and project them forward because this will just get worse as time goes on.

“Sometimes, the traumatic memory of combat can lay dormant, like a coiled spring, for a long time and it just takes a small event to push them over the edge. Troops can be on an adrenalin high in Afghanistan and when they come back home, life feels humdrum and boring.

“They feel their wife, partner or mother doesn’t understand them and they feel their life is meaningless.”

PTSD sufferers commonly have flashbacks, memories or nightmares about their experiences of war.

They have difficulty talking about what happened and suffer personality changes, including anger, irritability and extreme mood swings.

To be diagnosed with the condition, a sufferer must be severely impaired in their day-to-day functioning.

Many more soldiers suffer less extreme symptoms and are diagnosed with “adjustment disorders”.

Former SAS commander Colonel Clive Fairweather said: “Once we are out of Afghanistan, we will still see people being diagnosed with PTSD.

“All wars produce mental casualties as well as physical casualties. The earlier people come forward and admit they have a problem, the easier it can be to treat.

“Organisations helping service personnel will be busy in the foreseeable future. There is still a lot of stigma around mental illness but things are definitely better than they used to be.

“Soldiers or those who have served in the military and seem to be acting differently, maybe drinking too much or displaying erratic behaviour, should not be afraid to get help.”

Charities said they were struggling to cope with the caseload of soldiers who are still battling the legacy of war.

Combat Stress, who care for PTSD sufferers who have left the forces, deal with service personnel with problems dating from the Falklands, the 1991 Gulf War, Northern Ireland, the Balkans and Sierra Leone.

A spokeswoman said: “We have a caseload of more than 4800 veterans, including 228 who served in Afghanistan and 589 who served in Iraq. As the armed forces continue their high operational tempo, Combat Stress is being approached by more and more veterans who are seeking our help.

“Last year, we received 1443 referrals - a 10 per cent increase on the previous year.”

Help for Heroes chief Bryn Parry said: “With the increase of tours and the level of mental stress it is vital we have the correct services in place to give our boys and girls the best help for their mental wounds, as well as their physical ones.”

A MoD spokesman blamed the rise in PTSD numbers on the fact that more soldiers are now willing to come forward to discuss their problems.

He said: “The mental well-being of service personnel is a priority. There is a concerted drive to de-stigmatise issues around mental health and promote awareness of the professional medical care and support available.

“A wide range of services are provided to forces personnel, including providing mental health specialists who are directly available to personnel in theatre and at the home base.”